The 1930s Government, Politics, and Law: Headline Makers

"Ma" Barker (1871–1935) Born as Arizona Clark, "Ma" Barker struggled to raise her four sons in Springfield, Missouri. From 1932 onward, after the eldest son, Herman, killed himself while escaping the police, the Barker gang organized several kidnappings. The boys were more than willing to execute their enemies, and Barker sheltered several wanted men in the early 1930s. Barker's career, and her life, ended during a four-hour shootout at Lake Weir, Florida. Doubt remains over whether Ma Barker was a gang leader or just an overprotective mother looking after her wayward "boys."

Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) The stock market crash of 1929 came less than a year into Herbert Hoover's presidency. Hoover's "hands-off" policies failed to help the suffering of the American people. He became known as a president who didn't care and lost his bid for re-election. But despite his reputation in office, Hoover was a caring and sensitive man. During World War I he was responsible for distributing food and clothing to troubled European nations. Later in his career Hoover headed several government commissions.

J. Edgar Hoover (1895–1972) Beginning in the 1920s, J. Edgar Hoover turned the Bureau of Investigation (known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, starting in 1935) into the nation's most powerful police force. In the 1930s, it was at the center of the New Deal's war on crime. Hoover's Bureau began to centralize crime records and build itself into a formidable and popular weapon against organized crime. But the FBI was also used for political ends, investigating government employees using wiretaps and break-ins. Hoover's power grew with the secrets he collected, and the FBI developed a shadowy reputation that survived for decades.

Alf Landon (1887–1987) Alf Landon spent most of his life working in politics. In the 1920s, he worked closely with William Allen White (1868–1944) in his anti-Ku Klux Klan campaign, and he governed Kansas during most of the 1930s. Landon is best known for his run for president against FDR in 1936. He took on the popular president with little hope of winning. As Governor of Kansas from 1932, Landon had been an important Republican supporter of the New Deal. But in the 1936 presidential election, Americans showed they preferred Roosevelt's handling of the economy as a Democrat. Landon carried only two states, with eight electoral college votes, as compared to Roosevelt's 523.

Huey P. Long (1893–1935) In his time as governor, charismatic Huey P. Long became known as the "dictator of Louisiana." He served as both the governor and a senator for the state. Once, when an opponent argued that he was in breach of the constitution, Long retorted: "I'm the constitution round here." He built many bridges, schools, and other buildings, but in 1929 he was impeached on corruption charges. He was never convicted. A critic of the New Deal because he didn't think it went far enough, Long's Share-Our-Wealth Society promised to divide up the nation's wealth equally. He was assassinated in the Louisiana State Capitol building.

Frances Perkins (1882–1965) Frances Perkins was the first woman to hold a cabinet post in the U.S. government. Born in Boston, she trained as a teacher and worked as a volunteer with the poor of Chicago. She held important posts in New York State government, fighting for shorter working days and safer conditions. As U.S. Secretary of Labor, Perkins developed the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Industrial Recovery Act, as well as helping to craft the Social Security Act (1935). After Roosevelt's death in 1945, she served for twenty years on the Civil Service Commission.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) Known as "the conscience of the White House" during the presidency of her husband, Eleanor Roosevelt was a powerful influence on the politics of the 1930s. Although she believed women needed special protection at work and opposed the Equal Rights Amendment, she was an outspoken defender of women's rights. She also promoted civil rights, resigning her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution because of their racism. From January 1936, she wrote "My Day," a popular syndicated newspaper column discussing political issues. At her death, she was hailed as the "First Lady of the World."